When it comes to home inspections in North Texas, they are equally important for the home buyer or the seller of the home.  If you are the seller, remedying issues as quickly as you can, will help the chances of your home selling and if you are the home buyer knowing what’s underneath the hood so to speak, can save you lots of drama later down the road.

To make inspection day a little less daunting, we’ve put together a checklist of the top ten things a home inspection will cover and what they mean for you, the buyer or seller.

What Does a Home Inspection in Texas Consist of?

First, if you are buying a home in Grapevine, Southlake or surrounding area, you need to know what a home inspection is.  For our area, home inspections are regulated by the Texas Real Estate Commission, which established a Standards of Practice that dictate what home inspections will cover.

The Structural/Mechanical inspection as they are called covers the structural component and the mechanical components that are found in the typical house. The structural portion covers the building from the foundation to the top of the roof such as the foundation, grading, and drainage, walls, doors, windows, ceiling, attic space, roof, and fireplace. The mechanical will go over the electrical system, HVAC, plumbing and any appliances that remain in the house.

There are additional inspections you may want to look into if any issues arise, these inspections include EIFS, swimming pools/ spa sprinkler systems, gas line, septic systems, Wood Destroying Insect (WDI) or environmental inspections.

Top Ten Things You Should Pay Attention to on the Home Inspection Report

No home is perfect, but there are areas that you want to check out. If they aren’t as they should be as a buyer, you should ask that they are remedied before you buy or move on. As a seller, you will want to fix problem areas promptly.

Electrical Systems

A common electrical wiring problem found in homes is something called reversed polarity. Which means “hot” and “neutral” wires are placed on incorrectly in the outlet. Another issue that also comes is when two electrical circuits are attached to a single breaker. Commonly known as double taps and considered being a fire hazard, these should be repaired immediately.

Plumbing

Leaking plumbing around toilets and underneath sinks is common on inspection findings. However, they could be as simple as a broken seal around a toilet or signify something major like rusted or corroded pipes.  Be sure the plumbing in the home checks out, or you could be dealing with bigger issues like a backup or reduced water pressure.

Heating Systems

Thorough inspections, especially on older homes can prevent a catastrophe. While its recommended homeowners service these systems yearly, it often gets overlooked. So, a common finding on a home inspection is a dirty system which would require a cleaning and more detailed examination.

Outside Maintenance

Every home inspection should include the exterior of a home in addition to the interior.  A common exterior maintenance finding relates to the fascia.  Missing pieces, rotted pieces, or fascia boards with little to no ventilation are all common fascia problems.  Proper or improper ventilation can significantly affect the lifespan of the roof of a home.

Fan Ventilation

Fan ventilation systems must be vented to the exterior of a home. It’s common that when bathroom vent fans are placed, they are not vented to the exterior of the house, but rather into the attic or crawl space.  The moisture from the bathroom vent fan into the attic can potentially cause mold problems.

Frayed Electrical Entrance Cable

Exposure to the elements for extended periods can cause the electrical entrance cable or service entrance cable to become frayed. This is the cable that runs from the utility power connection to the meter socket and then back inside to the breaker panel.  Inspections also find that a lot of times these cables are not the right size, meaning a breaker box is rated as a 200 AMP service but the cable is rated at 150 AMP.

Windows that Don’t Work

Inspectors will check to make sure each window is functioning properly. In older homes, you may find that windows have been painted shut or that a sash cord has been broken. You want all your windows to open right, so pay attention.

Chimney and Fireplaces

A common finding from inspections are issues with the chimney flashing.  This can lead to water intrusion into a home.  Other common findings are missing chimney caps, missing mortar, or cracked tiles in the chimney flue.

Grading

Improper grading can cause water to pool around your home. In North Texas, we have quite a few areas that have homes with foundation issues. This standing water can cause these issues to be worse or flood homes with basements.

Water Heater

It’s essential that water heaters are up to current codes and are functioning correctly. 

If you have more questions about home inspections, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.